Most of my industrial career with a large chemical company was spent doing development work. One lesson I learned only late, and with difficulty, was the importance of patience in the development of technology. This column uses three stories to explore different aspects and emphasize the importance of patience.

WHAT’S SO URGENT ABOUT PATIENCE?
We have all worked with or for people for whom patience was not a priority. In fact, I have been, and maybe still am, one of those. But I learned much of what little I know about the use of patience from the most successful college basketball coach, John R. Wooden.

One of Wooden’s teachings was “Be quick, but don’t hurry!” Coach Wooden meant that basketball, like life, must be played fast but never out of control, and always in balance. “If you hurry,” he explained, “you are more likely to make mistakes, but if you’re not quick you won’t get things done. It’s like a surgeon who comes upon things unexpected. If he isn’t capable of responding quickly, he may lose the life of a patient. If an attorney isn’t a quick thinker, he could lose his case.” To be in balance, one must have patience.